After living in Philadelphia for 10 years, Leanne and Matt decided it was time to move their family, to their forever home, here on Long Island. During those 10 years so many life changes occurred. First jobs, Matt attended grad school, they got engaged, married, bought their first home and had 2 children. Having photos taken in their new home gave them a uniquely personal experience and a way to remember this particular time in their lives. Continue reading to learn more about what it was like making such a big move with young children and what Leanne and Matt thought of their in home lifestyle session with Cassandra and Terrie.

Why did you decided to move your family from Philadelphia to Long Island?

My (Leanne’s) parents are still here and Matt’s parents live part time in NYC. We wanted more of a suburban environment for our kids before they started school. We had saved enough money for more of a forever home and our work situations were not keeping us in Philadelphia so it was the right time to make a move. So we sold our home, moved in with my parents and began searching for a new home on Long Island. At the time the boys were 3.5 and 1.5. 

What was it like moving your whole family in with your parents while you were looking for a new home?

We had to live with my parents for about 3 months in between houses. It was a little crazy being in a temporary situation with 2 little kids but luckily we made it work. My parents are very laid back and we are go with the flow types so everyone got along pretty well. Plus we got to sneak out for a few extra date nights if my parents were home and willing to watch the kids which was really nice!

How did everyone adjust to suburban life vs the city?

We definitely miss parts of Philadelphia. We could walk to several different parks and had a lot of indoor play options close by. We also left some really great friends in Philadelphia who we sorely miss. On Long Island I joke that we live in the middle of no where. We feel a little more isolated. Long Island can be pretty great though. We are still in awe that we can go to the beach anytime. Our daily dog walks include harbor views which never get old. We absolutely love being close-ish to NYC and try to take advantage often. Vineyards, farms, boating….LI has a lot to offer. It is also just so special for our kids to have grandparents close by that they see often. 

The boys adjusted pretty well to the move. They were so thrilled to be close to their grandparents which made the adjustment easier. They still sometimes talk about our old house or their old school but overall they seem pretty happy here! 

Any advice for families planning a big move with young children?

If you can, take your time and be as organized as you can. As soon as we decided we were going to move I cleaned out one drawer or small section of the house everyday. I made a lot of progress without getting completely overwhelmed. Also just be flexible and lower your standards. I ordered more take out, used more paper plates, let the kids watch iPads more or whatever it took to get through sometimes but in the end it was worth it! 

Leanne’s Testimonial: 
Working with Terrie and Cassandra for our in home session was a lovely experience. Having pictures taken in our home will give us uniquely personal photographs to remember this particular time in our lives. Being in our own space allowed my family to be more relaxed and captured very real moments for our family. Terrie and Cassandra made the whole process friendly and stress free. It truly felt like we had friends stopping by on a Sunday morning to say hello. They engaged our children into participating in the picture process. I am so excited to have these pictures to cherish forever! 

{A note from Cassandra and Terrie}

We love photographing families no matter what the location, but there is something truly special about capturing them in their own home. It is where they spend most of their time together and where the memories are made. Everything about it is true to who they are. A lot of the time we learn about favorite hiding spaces, toys, and special family activities. In the moment, as parents, we feel like we will remember this time exactly like it is forever, but that isn’t true. We have so much going on and things change so quickly, that we don’t even realize they are changing. Whether it’s the physical space changing, cute quirky personality traits that your kids have at this time, or even just the simple growing and maturing of your family. You will never be right here, in this exact same space and time again in your life. Don’t think that you and your home have to be “pinterest perfect”. Your life is perfect for your family exactly how it is.